PAHO News

Pre-COSALFA 52 International Seminar on Emergency Vaccination Against Foot-and-Mouth Disease

PANAFTOSA/SPV of PAHO/WHO held the Pre-COSALFA 52 International Seminar on April 14, 2026, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to analyze emergency vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease as a strategic response tool. The seminar addressed progress on the Regional Antigen Bank for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (BANVACO), operational challenges, and gaps in interinstitutional coordination and decision-making. Conclusions will inform the 52nd COSALFA meeting scheduled for April 22–23, 2026, in Georgetown, Guyana.

Dominica Launches Inaugural Primary Health Care Week Honoring Dr. Carissa Etienne

PAHO/WHO congratulates the Government of Dominica on declaring its inaugural Primary Health Care Week, 13-17 April 2026, honoring Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, Dominican national and Director Emeritus of PAHO. The observance recognizes Dominica's district-based health system serving over 66,000 people through more than 50 public health centres. This is a commendatory statement reaffirming PAHO's support for strengthening community-centered primary health care as the foundation for universal health.

PAHO Supports Barbados Health Minister on Biennial Work Plan 2026–2027

PAHO met with Barbados' newly appointed Minister of Health and Wellness to discuss the Biennial Work Plan 2026–2027. The meeting covered ongoing and planned technical cooperation activities including health systems strengthening, HIV, disease prevention, maternal health, noncommunicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and pharmaceutical systems. The engagement sets the foundation for continued collaboration aligning PAHO technical cooperation with Barbados' evolving national health priorities.

Team ECC Talks Episode 1 Spotlights Event-Based Surveillance in Eastern Caribbean

PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries released Episode 1 of the Team ECC Talks video series, focusing on Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) as an early warning system for public health threats. The episode features PAHO colleagues Dr. Prabhjot Singh and Mrs. Fiona Anthony discussing EBS functions, implementation in small island states, and community engagement strategies. PAHO provides technical assistance, training, and coordination support to ministries of health across the Eastern Caribbean region.

PAHO Launches Policy Briefs on Long-Term Care Across the Americas

PAHO released a new series of policy briefs to support countries in strengthening long-term care systems across the Americas. The documents address person-centered care, caregiver roles, and governance and financing mechanisms. Approximately 14.4% of people aged 65 and older in Latin America and the Caribbean, around 8 million individuals, currently require long-term care, with projections indicating this will rise to 16% by 2050.